Tag: vitamins

Gut Health Healing Intensive: Foods That Support The Gut (For The Vegan Diet)

Published on by The April Diaries1 Comment

I am VERY excited to be launching this Gut Health Healing Intensive! In case you missed the post Gut Health Healing Intensive: Foods That Support The Gut (For Omnivores) I suggest you check that out. But again, it’s up to you which one you’d like to try. This one is especially made for the vegan diet.

Before you get started…

  1. Make sure you are keeping a food journal from Day 1, so we can see what foods cause reactions and what foods give you energy.
  2. Make sure you are following the plan to the best of your ability. Remember: Easy does it is key. When we stress, we inflame our intestinal lining.
  3. Remember to keep a journal, a binder, or an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of when we are adding in supplements.
  4. Remember to reduce supplements if you experience too much “die off.” This means you may feel tired; have headaches, loose stool, or constipation, or experience poor sleep or moodiness.
  5. You can always reduce or cut back on a supplement as this is a marathon and not a sprint.
  6. We start working on the foundation first by supporting your body, doing the detox tools daily, and getting clear on which foods are working for you.

Gut Health Staples:

  1. Coconut Oil
  2. Pumpkin Seeds
  3. Cloves and Cinnamon
  4. Turmeric
  5. Maine Coast Sea Vegetables (also available on Amazon or at Whole Foods as this site is shut down temporarily in August 2022)
  6. Chlorophyll (also available on Amazon)

Gut Health Supplements:

  1. Probiotics
  2. Liver Support
  3. Adrenal Support
  4. Gut Killers

Food Combining

FRUIT: Fruit digests itself, passing through the digestive system within 20 minutes. By eating fruit alone, you avoid fermentation occurring in the belly. Fermentation can lead to gas, rob you of energy and slow down your digestion.

STARCHES AND VEGETABLES: Foods such as baked potatoes, sweet potatoes or sweet corn should be eaten alone, with a vegetable or with a small amount of fat. It is advised to eat starches {carbohydrates}, such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, millet or amaranth only with vegetables as starches require different digestive enzymes than proteins

PROTEIN AND VEGETABLES: Unlike starches, proteins require an acidic environment for ideal digestion, so it is best to eat protein with vegetables and a healthy fat. When you add a starch, you force your body’s natural enzymes to compete to digest your food.

If you’re up for the challenge, stock up and meal plan for the week! Sundays are the best day to do this, and I’m a firm believer that if you set your intentions on a Sunday (bonus points if you do a little bit on a Saturday), your week is already set up for success.

If you have questions or would like to share your progress with me, feel free to hashtag #GutHealthIntensiveWithApril on Instagram and/or Twitter.

Give me some love on Instagram and Twitter as well!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaprilfederico/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AprilRD2Be

Feel free to join my FACEBOOK GROUP as well.

Gut Health Healing Intensive: Foods That Support The Gut (For Omnivores)

Published on by The April Diaries2 Comments

Morning, morning, morning! 💛

I am VERY excited to be launching this Gut Health Healing Intensive! (Don’t worry, there will be a separate post just for my vegan friends! But it’s up to you which one you’d like to try!)

Before you get started…

  1. Make sure you are keeping a food journal from Day 1, so we can see what foods cause reactions and what foods give you energy.
  2. Make sure you are following the plan to the best of your ability.Remember: Easy does it is key. When we stress, we inflame our intestinal lining.
  3. Remember to keep a journal, a binder, or an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of when we are adding in supplements.
  4. Remember to reduce supplements if you experience too much “die off.” This means you may feel tired; have headaches, loose stool, or constipation, or experience poor sleep or moodiness.
  5. You can always reduce or cut back on a supplement as this is a marathon and not a sprint.
  6. We start working on the foundation first by supporting your body, doing the detox tools daily, and getting clear on which foods are working for you.

Gut Health Staples:

  1. Coconut Oil
  2. Pumpkin Seeds
  3. Cloves and Cinnamon
  4. Turmeric
  5. Maine Coast Sea Vegetables (also available on Amazon or at Whole Foods as this site is shut down temporarily in August 2022)
  6. Chlorophyll (also available on Amazon)
  7. Ghee

Gut Health Supplements:

  1. Probiotics
  2. Liver Support
  3. Adrenal Support
  4. Gut Killers

Food Combining

FRUIT: Fruit digests itself, passing through the digestive system within 20 minutes. By eating fruit alone, you avoid fermentation occurring in the belly. Fermentation can lead to gas, rob you of energy and slow down your digestion.

STARCHES AND VEGETABLES: Foods such as baked potatoes, sweet potatoes or sweet corn should be eaten alone, with a vegetable or with a small amount of fat. It is advised to eat starches {carbohydrates}, such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, millet or amaranth only with vegetables as starches require different digestive enzymes than proteins

PROTEIN AND VEGETABLES: Unlike starches, proteins require an acidic environment for ideal digestion, so it is best to eat protein with vegetables and a healthy fat. When you add a starch, you force your body’s natural enzymes to compete to digest your food.

If you’re up for the challenge, stock up and meal plan for the week! Sundays are the best day to do this, and I’m a firm believer that if you set your intentions on a Sunday (bonus points if you do a little bit on a Saturday), your week is already set up for success.

If you have questions or would like to share your progress with me, feel free to hashtag #GutHealthIntensiveWithApril on Instagram and/or Twitter.

Give me some love on Instagram and Twitter as well!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaprilfederico/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AprilRD2Be

Feel free to join my FACEBOOK GROUP as well.

Committing To A Routine

Published on by The April DiariesLeave a comment

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably ALWAYS on the go. At this point in time, Friday’s and weekends are my only days off, and for that I am grateful. I wake up Monday-Thursday at a screeching 3 AM, and my eyes are screaming for more sleep. On top of that, this semester I have one class that’s on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I’ve unfortunately fallen into the habit of napping every time I get home. No, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with napping; but I’m realizing that it takes a lot of time out of my day. Don’t get me wrong, rest is important. In fact, I actually made it part of my routine!

Speaking of routines, it’s imperative that you commit to one. Coming to terms with it now, I realize that the word “commitment” doesn’t always refer to romantic relationships. In fact, commitment is a part of adulting and daily life. You’re probably thinking, “but today’s my day off, what do I have to commit to?” For me? Well, it’s no secret that I struggle with anxiety, so changes in routine really f**k me up. It wasn’t until I found this video by Nika Nikita about how to change your life. I figured this was part of my “research” on how I could establish a better routine.

One of the things that I do is script. Scripting is a manifestation tool that helps create the life that you want. But the thing about scripting is that you have to commit to it. You can’t just slap down what you want in your life on a piece of paper and say, “okay, my life is set.” No.

Another thing I try to do is meditate. I highly recommend listening to 741 hertz frequencies or even a guided meditation!

Keeping an agenda or even using Google Calendar or Notion is important, too. You need to have some way of keeping your schedule on track and “schedule out your schedule,” so to speak.

Knowing your limits is important, too. You can’t pour from an empty cup. But it’s important to know when and how you’re going to take your “me days.” But think of it this way, every day is a me day because you get to live.

Part of what I learned is to also nourish yourself, particularly with healthy food. I’ve learned from many years of buying Starbucks at school and from Uber Eats that a White Chocolate Mocha Latte and a chocolate croissant isn’t going to sustain you because of all the sugar. (Which explains why I nearly fall asleep by the time it’s 8 AM at work — yikes!) And besides, healthier foods are what sustain us, in the long run. Also, TAKE YOUR VITAMINS, especially those B-Complex, Vitamin C, and Omega-3. Take them daily, too, as that’s part of the routine. Exercise is important, too, even if you’re just simply stretching. I highly recommend FitOn. It’s completely free!

I will get to resets in another post, but for now, grab an agenda, bullet journal, whatever you use to keep track of yo’self and get to building a healthier mindset, and overall sanity.

What Having COVID-19 Taught Me

Published on by The April Diaries2 Comments

For the past few days now, I’ve been unfortunately gifted with COVID-19. I’m not trying to be political, even though the United States, in particular, is severely divided when it comes to the pandemic. I am lucky to be diagnosed with a breakthrough case and not with the D-variant. I’ve posted to Instagram about the issue, TikTok, and my Media Facebook page about this issue. Though it really shouldn’t be an “issue,” because an “issue” means argument. Not only has the past 18 months taught us to always be careful, be safe, and get vaccinated, the pandemic teaches valuable personal lessons. So, here is what I learned:

1. If you’re congested, get tested immediately.

I think, for me, it started as what seemed to be a cold that I thought I’d eventually get over. And I luckily “did,” or so I thought. However, I do work ungodly hours producing a morning show so I thought it was stress leaving me with a raspy voice due to a congested chest and stuffy nose. I did have a COVID scare a year ago because of that, and I thankfully tested negative at the time. It wasn’t until Saturday October 9 when I got a sore throat and what’s known as “COVID Voice” because I thought I had laryngitis. I warned my favorite YouTuber of this, and she said it was a wonderful suggestion and was one of the incredible people who wished me well.

2. Get in touch with your spirituality.

It wasn’t until last night when I cried because I felt the presence of, and don’t call me crazy, spirit guides. I began journaling regularly (as if I don’t write enough!) and watching videos by the Gem Goddess. This one video that I linked to actually made me cry. I kept hearing the words “forgive me” in my head all day, and I realized it was them trying to tell me something. But that’s another story. Talk about a divine intervention!

3. You realize who’s really there for you.

The first person I told about my diagnosis was my boyfriend and he immediately asked if I needed anything, if I had symptoms, and to be safe. I don’t think anyone realizes this, but when people tell you to “be safe,” it’s another way of saying “I love you.” I received an outpour of support from those who really want to see me better and showed genuine concern.

4. Show your body you love it.

If you treat your body poorly when you’re sick, do you really love yourself? Even though I would’ve liked to have a glass of wine or eat junk food when sick, it’s imperative that you put nutrients in your body. I’ve started taking vitamins religiously and I’ve taken to drinking hot lemon water with honey; it makes you sweat like a pig, but it WORKS. Also, be sure to take a shower at night because nighttime is when you feel worse because your body is shutting down for bedtime.

Having COVID is sobering and it is not fun. But I can tell you this: I am grateful that I nor my family members are on ventilators and that we can all breathe on our own. Tell God, guides, the universe — whatever feels right to you — and tell your own body “thank you.” And tell yourself, “we did it,” “we got this,” and/or “I love you.”

Be well, my friends. I’ll be producing loads of overdue content for y’all.

April